Hundreds of protesters gathered at the event in Florida to demonstrate against Spencer's ideology.

One black demonstrator grabbed hold of Furniss as he walked through the crowd, hugging the neo-Nazi who was wearing a t-shirt covered in swastikas.

On the video the man is heard shouting at the white supremacist: "Give me a f***ing hug ... Why you don't like me, dawg? Huh? What is it? What is it?"

Seconds after the embrace, another man is shown launching himself at Furniss and punching him square in the face.

The protesters at the event far outnumbered the white supremacists who came to hear Spencer speak. Local bars reportedly offered free drinks to people who handed over their tickets to the event.

Chris Sims, a spokesman for the sheriff's office, said that apart from the attack against Furniss, there were no serious incidents.

"There were a few scuffles, but for the most part it was an extremely peaceful event," he said.

Neo-Nazi Randy Furniss is punched near the site of a planned speech by white supremacist Richard Spencer at the University of Florida on 19 October 2017Brian Blanco/Getty ImagesRandy Furniss, of Idaho, walks through a crowd at the University of Florida where alt-right leader Richard Spencer held a speech on 19 October 2017Brian Blanco/Getty Images